The present invention relates to holddown devices, particularly those for use in securing tarpaulins and the like on to soft soil or turfed areas.
In the landscaping industry, a need often arises for the removal of large volumes of materials or debris, such as leaves, grass clippings, etc. from a worksite, typically outdoors. One method of accomplishing such removal involves spreading a tarpaulin or tarp on to a surface next to the material or debris, blowing, raking, or otherwise transferring the material or debris from the surrounding area on to the tarp, rolling or folding the tarp and then transporting the tarp with debris to a disposal area where the materials and debris are unloaded.
This method has proven to be inefficient and cumbersome in several respects. If blowers are used to transfer the debris on to the tarp, or if it is a breezy or windy day, the tarp will not remain in its flat, spread out position. This makes it difficult to place the materials on the tarp, and those that have been successfully placed may become dislodged or blown off. To combat this problem, typically one or more sticks or twigs are located at the worksite and either pushed through the tarp into the soil or used to wedge the comers of the tarp into the ground. This method has also proven unsuccessful, in that it is often difficult to find sticks that are long and strong enough to hold a tarp firmly in place. To find the necessary number of suitable sticks is very time-consuming. It is also difficult to push such sticks or twigs in the ground. Many times the stick will break off in one's hand, or the end of the stick will break off in the ground and be unremovable. Even if the sticks are securely positioned to hold the tarp, these sticks may be lost when the tarp is rolled or folded and then subsequently emptied. This latter problem exists even for traditional metal stakes or spikes.
Other stakes have been tried, but have been ineffective for a number of reasons. These stakes are usually too long, and are therefore cumbersome to work with. Conventional stakes are also too thin, resulting in a loose fit between the tarp and the stake. This loose fit allows the tarp to shift not only horizontally, but also to travel vertically up the stake due to wind or blowing, each of which could cause the debris to be dislodged from the tarp. Finally, these stakes are not provided with any means for securing the stake to the tarp, to allow the stake to stay with the tarp when moved or transported.
Another problem is that often times the terrain of the area will be such as to leave gaps or open areas between the tarp and the soil surface. If the material to be removed is placed on the tarp, for example, by means of a blower, much of the debris may actually end up going through these gaps and coming to rest underneath the tarp rather than on top of the tarp. In this case, it may be necessary to securely fasten the tarp not just in one or more corners, but also at several points throughout the tarp. This requires locating many more sticks or twigs, and adds even more time to an already lengthy process, in that, even if an adequate number of sticks are gathered, they must all be firmly positioned around the tarp, with the attendant risks of breaking, coming free from the tarp, being lost in disposal, etc. Staking a tarp in place usually creates more work than periodically repositioning the tarp, which accounts for its lack of widespread use. Resort has even been made to positioning various workers around the periphery of the tarp, who hold the tarp in place by standing on it. This is obviously an inefficient use of time and resources.